


Five Times Saber Kissed His Master (And One Time He Didn't)

by twilightscribe



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: 5+1 Things, Complete, Fluff and Angst, M/M, One Shot, Prototype!Saber - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 15:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1392538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilightscribe/pseuds/twilightscribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Exactly what the titles says.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Saber Kissed His Master (And One Time He Didn't)

**First kiss.**

_“I am Saber. A Servant who will protect you.”_

Shirou stared at the moonlight that filtered in through the bedroom window, throwing Saber's features into sharp relief. His breathing was deep and even despite the terrible wounds he'd been dealt. Shirou's own wounds had healed fine within a few hours, but Saber was still unconscious with his torso bound in bandages.

It was hard to think of Saber as anything but a living, breathing entity. He bled just as Shirou did and had emotions; he hadn't given thought to throwing himself into a battle that could result in his death and then later between Berserker's giant sword and an already gravely injured Shirou.

_“I will protect you.”_

Those had been his words. Saber was... Saber was like him. Only, Saber wanted to protect and save _**him**_ , someone who had already been saved before. If it was his time, then that was that. His only regret would be not being able to continue helping others. But then there was Saber, who put him above all else – as though the only reason he needed to keep going was that Shirou needed him.

Saber looked peaceful. Shirou remembered that he'd had a smile on his face when he'd seen that he'd managed to protect Shirou; he'd look so relieved, so happy, that Shirou couldn't wrest the image from his mind. Even when his own consciousness had failed him, he knew Saber was smiling.

Rin had told him that, despite his own wounds and that he was on the verge of collapse, Saber had not fallen on top of him. It had been a huge force of will and he had _**insisted**_ on carrying Shirou home and making sure his wounds were treated before he'd allowed Rin to see to his own at all. After that, he'd simply laid down and fallen asleep. He hadn't moved since.

Ever since he'd woken up several hours before, his own wounds healed, Shirou had been sitting vigil at Saber's side. Rin had left shortly after he'd shot awake and stumbled into the kitchen for a drink. She'd only briefed him on Saber's wounds and the situation before leaving with a grave promise that they wouldn't be so friendly the next time they met.

_“Next time we meet, we're enemies. I will kill you.”_

Somehow, he doubted that Rin had it in her to kill in cold blood. She just didn't seem like the type.

Right now, though, it was Saber that he needed to be worried about. Shirou reached out and pressed the back of his fingers to Saber's forehead, his cheek. His skin was warm to the touch, but not hot. Shirou sighed and leaned back.

“Well, that's good. He's not running a fever...” Shirou wasn't sure he knew what to do if Saber was; he doubted that there was anything he could other than pray for it to go down. Would medicine even work on him?

“You must be feeling better to be here.”

Shirou nearly jumped, starting backward. He stared down at Saber, meeting green eyes. Taking a deep breath, Shirou let it out in a long sigh and smiled, “You're awake.”

“Of course. I've suffered worse wounds,” Saber said, lips curling into a small smile. “I will be fine by tomorrow; you need not fear that.”

“I'm not worried about that! I'm worried about you! You shouldn't push yourself like that... you need to heal, Saber.”

Saber placed his hand over one of Shirou's, which was clenched into a tight fist. His fingers were callused as they stroked over Shirou's and he smiled at him.

“You should remember that I'm not human – not like you. My wounds will heal quickly enough; it's you that I am more concerned about.” Saber squeezed Shirou's hand, “You are my Master. My duty as a Servant is to protect you, guard you, and see that you reach your desired goal – whatever that may be.”

“Saber, I don't really have one – not for this war.”

Saber pulled Shirou's hand close, gently unclenching it and pressing a kiss to his knuckles, “Then I shall protect you in the battles I know are to come. Know that I will support you when you make a decision; I know you will make the right one.”

Something warm settled into Shirou's stomach, blossoming up and outwards, shoving a lump into his throat and heat to bloom in his cheeks.

“I-I'll do my best.”

**Second kiss.**

The thought that plagued Shirou through most of breakfast was that he probably should have thought of a better explanation for Saber's appearance other than “friend of dad's.” Saber had played along with it, smiling and answering all of their questions with ease – navigating the conversation back towards safer topics. Taiga had blushed, calling him quite the gentlemen, and then complimented Shirou on landing such a handsome man.

Sakura hadn't taken it too well. She'd turned brilliant red and stuttered through much of breakfast, unable to look at Shirou. She'd excused herself quickly, claiming that she needed to leave early for archery practice and Taiga left with her – leaving behind Saber and Shirou, who cleaned up after breakfast and then got ready for school.

Following Shirou into the foyer, Saber watched as he got ready for school. His brow was furrowed into a frown and he grabbed the spare pair of shoes that Shirou had left out from the night before.

“Saber, what are you doing?” Shirou asked, stopping what he was doing and straightening up to stare at his Servant.

“Accompanying you, Master. As I'm unable to assume spiritual form, I will simply have to follow you in physical form. I hope that's acceptable.” Saber looked at him, hard, “My duty is to protect you. I cannot fulfill that duty unless I remain at your side.”

“You can't follow me to school!”

“And why not?”

“Because you're just going to grab unnecessary attention and this way, at least, I won't draw as much attention if there are any other Masters watching.”

Saber seemed to accept Shirou's reasoning, judging by the small slump to his shoulders. “I suppose that is true. I may not like it, but if it's what you desire, Master, than I will remain here.”

Shirou sighed, bending over to grab his shoes, “And don't call me Master, please.”

Saber cocked his head to the side, a deceptively innocent look on his face, “What would you have me call you then, Master?”

“Shirou is fine,” Shirou replied, a little distracted. He was pulling his shoes on, tapping his toes on the ground to make sure they were on properly. “You'll be fine here, right? There's some food in the fridge for you if you get hungry, feel free to help yourself.”

“Yes, I'll be fine.” Saber was still watching Shirou closely. The bandages on his torso peeked out past the low collar of the shirt he wore, a reminder of the wounds he'd suffered the night before. Despite how serious they were, Saber seemed fine; acting as though he hadn't nearly died at all.

Saber caught his eye, “And you are certain that you will be safe without me?”

“It's just school, Saber,” Shirou said. “I'll be surrounded by people and it'll be during the day; I doubt that any of the other Masters will attack me there.”

Despite that, Saber didn't seem to reassured. He crossed his arms and sighed, “You must promise to be home before nightfall. Give me your word for that, Shirou, and I will rest easy.”

“You have it. I promise that I'll be home before nightfall; I'll come right home right after classes.” Shirou picked his bag up, slinging it over his shoulder as he turned to leave. He shot back over his shoulder, “I'll see you later.”

Saber darted forward, catching Shirou's wrist and pulling him back. He pressed a kiss to the corner of Shirou's mouth, lips lingering for several seconds before he pulled away – there was an enigmatic smile on his face. He winked at Shirou, “Be safe. Summon me if you have need of me.”

“Yeah, I will...” Shirou glanced down at the Command Spells that blazed brilliant red against his skin and tried not to blush. He managed to smile at Saber before he left, closing the door behind him with a loud click. Closing his eyes, Shirou took a deep breath to calm himself.

He had no idea what it was that Saber was doing, but he found it very hard to be angry about it. After all, Saber was... Shirou wasn't sure he had the words to describe him. Maybe he would find them eventually.

**Third kiss.**

Saber said nothing as he bound Shirou's wound. He refused to meet Shirou's eyes, focusing on the wound and the bandages in his hand. Despite the storm clouds that Shirou could see gathering in his green eyes, his touch remained gentle.

“You gave your word that you would be home immediately,” Saber said. “And that you would summon me if you had need of me.”

“I know,” Shirou replied. “I'm sorry; I didn't think that this would happen. It all just happened so fast... I didn't really think about anything.”

“You must summon me the moment that you feel threatened or suspicious. It's better for you to be cautious than to walk into danger unprepared,” Saber said, smoothing his fingers over Shirou's bandaged arm. “As I have said, my duty is to protect you. I cannot do that if you don't afford me the chance to do so.”

“I'm sorry.”

Saber sighed, “Shirou... you must understand that I take no pleasure in lecturing you on this. I simply wish for you to understand that your safety is what is most important to me.”

Biting his lip, Shirou pointedly avoided meeting Saber's eyes. He hadn't been thinking of Saber at all at the time, just that he needed to lure Rider away from Rin and his unconscious classmate. It was obvious now that Rider was the one attacking his classmates for their mana. And Shinji, of all people, was her Master. What was he going to do about that?

“Shirou, you knowingly challenged a Servant. You are quite lucky to be alive now; if it wasn't for Tohsaka and Archer, you _**would**_ be dead and I would be without a Master.”

Saber's grip on Shirou's hand was surprisingly gentle, his fingers callused from years of training and fighting. He reached out and cupped Shirou's chin between thumb and forefinger, tipping it up and forcing Shirou to meet his eyes. There was a weariness in Saber's eyes that Shirou hadn't seen before, creating an empty distance between them.

“Saber...” Any words he might have said were lodged in his throat and his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth. He could hear his blood rushing loudly in his ears; he couldn't remember ever having felt this way before.

“At this moment, I am... unsure of how to get you to understand, Shirou. If you die now, then whatever you wish to achieve in this war – or life – means nothing. You must value your life and place your trust in others if you hope to survive.”

There wasn't anything that Shirou could say. He could still feel the guilt hammering through his veins. He looked away, unable to meet Saber's unnervingly solemn gaze.

“I need you to trust me. That is the only way that either of us is going to survive this war,” Saber dropped his hand from Shirou's chin. Instead, he dropped them both to Shirou's hands taking them in his and squeezing them tightly. “Trust _**in**_ me, Shirou.”

Silence hung for several moments before Shirou was able to unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth. He took a deep breath, “Alright, but you have to trust me too, Saber.”

Saber's smile was radiant, “I already do. You are my Master. I trust you with my life. And, next time, I hope that you will trust me with yours.”

“Next time, I'll summon you.” Shirou smiled a little in response; it was hard not to, Saber's was infectious.

“Thank you,” Saber said quietly. He gently raised Shirou's hands and pressed his lips lightly to the knuckles. “I promise that I will keep you safe, Shirou. You need not fear anything so long as I am by your side.”

It was hard not to believe him. His words were soft, but he spoke them with such force of conviction that there was no doubt in Shirou's mind that he would be safe. Perhaps he didn't know what Heroic Spirit Saber was, but he knew that he could be trusted. And... but no, he wouldn't go there.

**Fourth kiss.**

Saber's hair was tousled from sleep, blond spikes sticking up in every direction. His expression was relaxed and open. He covered his mouth with a hand as he yawned. His yukata made a soft rustling noise as he moved; Shirou noticed that it was tied a little too loosely around his waist, leaving it open over his chest and revealing the sweep of his collarbones.

The bright green of his eyes was muted in the faint light. Shirou thought that he looked very young like this, without the weight of the world on his shoulders. He probably wasn't much older than Shirou himself and yet he still had become a Heroic Spirit, a great hero of legend.

“How are you feeling? Better?” Shirou asked.

“Yes, thank you.” Saber slowly settled himself next to Shirou. He fought another yawn but failed. His shoulders sagged and he blinked blearily, looking up at the sky. “Do you always sit out here?”

“Yeah... my dad and I used to sit out here a lot and look at the stars; I can still remember all the constellations.”

Extending an arm up, Shirou traced the lines between the stars that he remembered from his childhood. Saber leaned close, head coming to rest on Shirou's shoulders as his eyes traced Shirou's movements; his hands were clasped loosely in his lap.

“Sometimes you can see different constellations – it depends on the time of year,” Shirou said. He crossed his legs and clenched his hands into fists, unsure of what to do with them. “But my dad would always point them out; it didn't matter what time of year it was, he always liked to look at the sky.”

Saber made a soft humming noise. He was warm, his body warding off the night's chill. His breathing was even, but he wasn't asleep – not quite yet, anyway.

“I never really took the chance to look at them,” Saber said, voice soft. “The constellations now are quite different from the ones that I once knew. I was always too involved with other matters to take the time for myself to enjoy simpler things.”

Glancing over at Saber, Shirou blinked, “Then... is this your second chance?”

There was a long pause before Saber at last responded, “I... I suppose that it is. I have nothing which I hope to gain from the Grail – there is no wish that I have that it could grant. If you have a wish to be granted, then I shall do all within my power to see it granted. But right now, in this moment, I simply wish to enjoy my time with you.”

Blood rushed to his cheeks and Shirou looked away quickly, “I... I... I like spending time with you too, Saber...”

He could almost imagine Saber's smile – growing from a small quirk of the lips into something larger, warm and comforting – after he'd stuttered out that little confession. He more than just liked spending time with Saber, but that was too embarrassing to voice. What words was he supposed to use?

“I'm heartened to hear that.” Saber hesitated, breath caught in his throat for a few long seconds before he let it out, “You do make me happy. If nothing else, believe that.”

Saber's hands found Shirou's, gently unclenching them and holding them tightly in his. He raised one, pressing his lips gently to each of the knuckles before giving it a soft squeeze and settling in against Shirou. He murmured, “I can only hope that I make you happy in return...”

Heavy breathing filled the air, exhaustion finally catching up with Saber. He slept, face peaceful and relaxed against Shirou, a steady warm presence at Shirou's side.

**Fifth kiss.**

Saber's armour had disintegrated alongside his Noble Phantasm into a cloud of golden dust that dissipated into the night sky. The brilliant pillar of light that had shot into the sky had faded. There was no trace of Rider, who had been caught in Saber's attack.

Without his armour, Saber was much lighter and Shirou was able to heft him up and slide one shoulder under Saber's to support him. Saber managed to get his feet under him, but his legs were shaking so badly that they gave out on every other step. He was breathing heavily and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead; it was obvious that it was taking quite the effort for him to keep himself awake.

“Are you... unhurt?” Saber asked. His voice was so quiet that Shirou almost didn't hear it over the sound of their laboured breathing.

“Fine. You're the one I'm worried about.”

Shirou didn't like the look of Saber's face; it was far too pale, sickly, and his eyes looked sunken and bruised. His eyelids kept drooping closed, only for Saber to blink them open as he swayed on his feet. The bright green eyes that Shirou knew so well were dimmed and locked on some distant, invisible point.

“... good.” Saber sounded relieved. “But I have... have to keep going... not safe... not yet.”

“We're gonna be fine. You took out Rider and I haven't sensed any of the other Masters nearby. We just need to make it home. Can you hold on till then? Saber?”

There was a faint smile on Saber's face. His voice was wistful, “Home... yes, I...”

He shook his head, like he was trying to clear it of cobwebs. Straightening his back, Saber managed to pull himself into a standing position, though he wavered and nearly face-planted into the cement as a result. His arm was still around Shirou's shoulders.

“Home. With you.” Saber's eyes cleared as he looked at Shirou and he smiled.

Shirou felt his heart hammer against his ribcage as heat raced up his neck. Whatever words he had were lodged in his throat, creating a lump that he couldn't talk around. Or breathe for that matter; he felt awfully light-headed.

With what little strength he had left, Saber leaned in and kissed Shirou. His lips were soft against Shirou's, with just enough pressure to send the blood rushing in Shirou's ears and his toes to curl as his fingers flexed, unsure what to do with them.

The kiss was over too soon. Saber pitched forward, unconsciousness finally claiming him completely. Shirou only barely managed to catch him around the waist and hauled him back up to lean against him. His cheeks were bright-red. He hoped that Rin would mistake that for exertion as he began lugging his unconscious Servant back home.

Somehow, they made it back in one piece. Shirou was glad for the time of night, because he was well-aware of the strange sight they posed; they looked like a couple of drunks stumbling along after a costume party. Or, at least, Saber did in his royal blue tunic and white leggings.

Rin was waiting for them when they returned. Her mouth was turned down and her arms were crossed, but she did help Shirou by slinging Saber's other arm over her shoulders and taking some of the weight. The two of them proceeded to drag the unconscious Saber to his guest room.

Archer appeared in the hallway as they struggled down it. He raised an eyebrow, but made no move to help them. There was definitely amusement in his grey eyes and the corner of his lips was quirked up in a smirk.

“Archer, go make some tea,” Rin snapped. Her face was red from exertion and she had a snarl on her lips.

Wisely, Archer offered no sarcastic crack to his Master in response – despite how he looked like he had one ready and on the tip of his tongue – and disappeared into the kitchen.

They ended up dropping Saber unceremoniously onto his futon. Rin was red-faced and panting, as was Shirou, and she hunched over a little, hands on her knees as she took in deep breaths.

“Rider–?”

“Dead.”

Rin nodded, straightening up with one last deep gulp of air, “Good. That's one less obstacle we have to worry about.”

Shirou crouched down next to the futon, straightening out Saber's limbs and tucking him under the blankets. He was surprised when his fingers brushed against Saber's tunic; it was much softer than he'd thought. Pulling the blanket up and over him, Shirou pressed a hand to his forehead. It burned against his hand.

“He's burning up!”

“You can't supply him with the mana he needs to fully release his Noble Phantasm,” Rin replied, kneeling down next to him. She pressed two long, elegant fingers against the inside of Saber's wrist and frowned. “Unleashing it like that would have depleted his reserves and since you're such a third-rate Master, what mana he does get isn't going to be enough. I'm surprised that he's still able to hold together a physical form.”

Shirou looked back to Saber and tried to talk around the lump in his throat, “He could... die. You mean.”

“Not die, just disappear. Without the mana to allow him to assume a form in this world, he'd simply disappear.” Rin tutted, green lines appearing up her arm as she continued to examine Saber, “Right now, though, he's practically useless; he won't be able to summon or use his Noble Phantasm until he recovers.”

“Isn't there anything we can do...?”

“ _ **I**_ can't do anything since I'm not his Master.” Rin straightened up, walking to the door with stiff legs. “You'll have to do that yourself.”

“Tohsaka...”

“I'm not walking you through anything like that!” Rin's cheeks were glowing as she wrenched the door open. “He needs mana and there's only a few ways for you to provide it given that you can't do it properly. Put two and two together, you idiot!”

She slammed the door closed as she left. The clack rang loudly in the silence.

**One time he didn't.**

Excalibur tore through the corrupt Grail, lighting up the entire temple in a brilliant gold light. When the light from the attack faded, the faint light of the sun cresting over the horizon replaced it. Saber would be framed in that brilliant light, Shirou knew, but he couldn't turn around.

They had won the war. The Grail was destroyed.

Now, Saber would disappear. He wouldn't look.

“As your sword, I have done my duty,” Saber said. “Will you not face me?”

His tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth. The words couldn't get past the lump in his throat. His eyes burned but he wouldn't turn around. Turning around only to watch as Saber vanished, just as each Servant before had, hurt too much. Saber had become such a constant in his life that trying to imagine how life would go on without Saber.

Saber would have to leave. That was how this ended. Maybe, if he fought hard enough, struggled until his dying breath, he would see him again. If he could make it to wherever Saber was, then he would give his all to one day reach that peak.

“You...” His voice shook. Shirou took a deep breath, mouth dry, “You did great. You... you can rest now.”

Bare fingers brushed against the back of Shirou's hand, callused and warm as they closed around Shirou's and squeezed. Saber's voice was close, low and quiet and right in his ear, “I'm not quite ready to rest yet. You asked me once if this was my second chance... I would like it to be.”

Squeezing his hand into a fist, Shirou took several deep breaths, waiting. The seconds ticked past and the light from the sun grew stronger, casting everything in a warm, golden light. It reminded him of Excalibur.

Excalibur: The Sword of Promised Victory.

This was the victory he had sought. It was what he wanted; he'd thought that this victory was what Saber had promised him. Saber had promised to stay at his side. And he wanted a second chance. But, ultimately, Saber was a Servant who had answered to the call of the Grail and would vanish with its destruction. So why was Saber still there?

Saber's hand remained a firm, warm grip around Shirou's.

He inhaled a deep, shaky breath just as the sun cast everything in the cool light of predawn. Saber was still there.

Spinning around, he caught Saber's hand in his and pulled him forward. He raised his head and kissed Saber, messy and awkward with their lips mashed together and Shirou being incredibly inflexible. This was real, he kept telling himself.

Shirou had his eyes squeezed shut, but he felt Saber's mouth relax into a smile as his hand came up to cup the back of Shirou's head and tilt it to a better angle. He shifted his head just a little, letting their lips slide together and gentling the kiss.

At least until he nipped Shirou's bottom lip.

**FIN.**

**Author's Note:**

>  **Words:** 4160 words
> 
> Whoops, I wrote a thing. I'm working on another for the alternate pairing that comes with this (sn!Saber/Ayaka), so that'll be up whenever I finish it. In the meantime... enjoy.


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